Town Square

Town and Country Canal

Original post made
by Paly Parent, Old Palo Alto,
on Aug 24, 2006

Why has Town and Country fenced off a rather narrow walkway from the cross walk across the parking lot? Why must all students walk only one way around the shopping center? Why was the fence placed along Embarcadero and why does it run all the way up to the opening leaving a dangerously small opening in the sidewalk near cars entering the shopping center?

It looks ridiculous. It forces hundreds of Paly students to walk down a tiny corridor for lunch. It makes it difficult and more hazardous for any pedestrian (student or adult) to enter the shopping center.

As a parent, I want my child to be able to eat lunch at T & C instead of get in a student car and drive elsewhere.

Remember the days before the cross walk when Paly kids walked at will, at random, across Embarcadero? Kids use the cross walks to and within the shopping center. I just don't understand what problem T & C is solving by installing the fence and making it harder for Paly students to patronize the restaurants during the day.

Town & Country is getting worse and worse and quite frankly I don't see why anyone would want to patronise it any more. If it wasn't for Paly students and a few anchors, I don't think it would survive. Still, it is nice to see that they are trying to update it, but not in a customer friendly way. If the Paly students start to disobey the rules then the next thing is they will not be allowed to use it at all. The Powers That Be who run things at T & C must change their attitudes if they want to survive. I know that over the next couple of weeks, there are many parent meetings and field trip kick offs at the centre and if it proves to be too difficult for ease of use, then alternative venues will be sought. So beware T & C, or your loyal customer base will not be there!!!!!

Posted by York
a resident of College Terrace
on Aug 25, 2006 at 11:22 pm

- Maybe Paly students can learn to follow a few simple rules created to protect them - instead of insisting that this temporary inconvenience is the end of the world? (it's being done to make T&C a better place for them and otehr shoppers)

- Funny, those that are complaining about this and threatening "action" against tT&C are those who will cry "foul" - or "what's happening to retail in Palo Alto?" - if retailers really DO fail at T&C because of actions like the ones that Carol suggests. It's not T&C management your actions will hurt, it's the retailers.

- T&C is a construction zone; it would behoove a reasonable person to consider that alternate pathways and detours would be part of that, and act accordingly.

I am not suggesting action should be taken, I am just pointing out what is happening. I have had a daughter at Paly for the past four years and my son is now a freshman. I know that Paly students use T & C, particularly the various eateries and Longs. I know from my son that the construction is awkward and the students are trying to obey the rules, but what I am afraid of is that a few will start disobeying the rules and the whole student body will suffer when it becomes off limits during the school day. I am not making any threats to T & C, but I know that long time retailers have been forced to move out due to high rents (Weightwatchers for one), and these are often the anchors that bring shoppers into other stores. When my son is off to foothills park this week for a field trip, the parents are meeting at T & C because it is handier. If the construction makes it too difficult then another venue will be used next time and the coffee houses, etc. will suffer because they will not get the business that this field trip could have generated. This is not a threat, just a fact of life. T & C needs to update and we can all put up with some inconvenience, but if they continue to loose retailers due to their high rents and arrogant attitude in the manner in which they incovenience their customers, then their loyal customers may disappear.